Entering the World · Häagen-Dazs Royal City

A deep-blue streak of light swept across the vast Forest Sea.

At last, it slowly descended in an uninhabited area along the southwestern border of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Not far ahead stood a massive city.

The city plaque bore a line of large characters.

[Häagen-Dazs Royal City]

Lan Aotian reined in his aura, transformed into the ordinary appearance of a blue-haired youth, and leisurely walked toward the city gates.

Although Häagen-Dazs Royal City was not one of the Heaven Dou Empire's core cities, it was an important meeting point between the Star Dou Great Forest and the human empire.

It was also the closest human city to the direction from which Lan Aotian had come out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The city walls were covered in marks left by the passage of time, yet brand-new Soul Tool Lanterns hung from them as well.

These were rare objects that had spread from Heaven Dou City in recent years.

The city gates were packed with people.

There were mercenary groups loudly calling out as they entered the city with loads of beast hides and medicinal herbs.

There were also well-dressed merchant caravans escorting exquisite goods.

Lan Aotian blended into the crowd, his gaze calmly sweeping over his surroundings.

At the same time, he activated the vision of the Blue Silver Grass ocean in this area, observing everything in every direction.

The air was thick with the smells of sweat, dust, medicinal herbs, and livestock.

Occasionally, he could even catch the scent of cheap liquor and roasted meat.

The city guards wore somewhat-worn Standard Leather Armor.

They lazily inspected the pass permits of pedestrians.

As for Soul Masters, they usually only glanced at the Soul Master Badge at their waists before waving them through.

Lan Aotian had no Soul Master Badge.

But he merely released a trace of Soul Power belonging to a high-level Soul Master.

The city guards immediately grew solemn and bowed as they stepped aside, not daring to ask another question.

Strength was always the most direct pass in the Douluo Continent.

As he stepped into the city, a clamorous Sound Wave rushed toward him.

The main street was paved with Green Stone slabs, with shops lining both sides and all kinds of signs hanging above them.

Soul Beast Hunter Pavilion, which purchased soul beast materials.

Linglong Workshop, which sold various low-level Soul Tools.

A Spirit Hall Branch Hall that provided basic services for Soul Masters.

Its storefront was not large, but it displayed an eye-catching Angel Emblem.

Aside from those,

there were mostly taverns, inns, pharmacies, and miscellaneous stalls.

Although this place was a royal city,

its overall layout was, at best, medieval.

The name sounded nice, but the city itself was still rather poor.

Lan Aotian's gaze first fell upon the pharmacies.

Hundred Herbs Hall

Lin's Pharmacy

Star Dou Medicinal Shop

He leisurely entered the Hundred Herbs Hall, which appeared to be the largest.

The shop was permeated with a rich herbal scent.

Various processed medicinal herbs were arranged by category on the wooden shelves.

From common Hemostasis Grass and Peaceful Mind Flower to somewhat more valuable Dragon Whisker Root and Star Luo Vine, everything was available.

The Shopkeeper was a thin, middle-aged man wearing a monocle.

"What does Lord Soul Master need?"

"Our shop has a complete selection of medicinal herbs at fair prices, and we also accept advance orders."

He had been fiddling with his abacus. When Lan Aotian entered and he sensed the faint pressure emanating from him, he immediately put on a smile.

Most importantly, Lan Aotian was dressed in fine clothes and possessed a noble bearing.

At a glance, he clearly was not an ordinary person, but someone of imperial family status.

The Shopkeeper did not dare to slight him.

Lan Aotian did not speak at once. Instead, he slowly walked to the counter, his fingers lightly brushing over the polished wooden surface.

In his mind, he quickly compared the medicinal herbs required for the Grade 7 Transformation Pill Recipe with their Douluo Continent counterparts.

"Do you have Jadeite Ganoderma, Earth Vein Blood Ginseng, or Ghost Vine Crystals that are at least three hundred years old?"

His voice was calm, but every medicinal herb he named was exceedingly rare.

"My lord, the few things you mentioned are all treasures worth a fortune and difficult to obtain."

"Jadeite Ganoderma only grows near extremely pure Life Essence Spring Eyes. It is rare to encounter even one in ten years."

"Earth Vein Blood Ginseng must take shape in a place where a soul beast of at least five hundred years has died, after absorbing its blood energy and the essence of the earth veins."

"Ghost Vine Crystals require the core naturally shed by a Ghost Vine soul beast over three hundred years old... our little shop truly has none in stock."

The Shopkeeper's smile stiffened when he heard this, and he immediately looked troubled.

He carefully observed Lan Aotian's expression before adding, "However, my lord, if you truly need them urgently, you can leave your contact information and a deposit. This old man will do his best to inquire through his channels. It is just that the price..."

"Price is no issue."

"Would this be enough as a deposit?"

Lan Aotian interrupted him and casually took a small Jade Bottle from the System Warehouse.

Inside were several drops of highly purified Blue Silver Emperor Life Essence.

It had miraculous effects in treating internal injuries and extending one's lifespan.

But to outsiders, it was merely some kind of high-purity treasure with a life attribute.

He pulled the stopper loose just a crack.

A dense, pure aura of life instantly spread through the shop.

After inhaling only a trace, the Shopkeeper immediately felt refreshed.

Even the hidden injuries left over from his past cultivation seemed to ease slightly.

His eyes widened at once, and his breathing quickened.

"It is enough! More than enough!"

"My lord, rest assured. This old man will certainly do everything in his power!"

"May I ask your name, my lord? Where are you staying?"

He hurriedly accepted the Jade Bottle, carefully put it away, and became even more respectful.

"My surname is Lan."

"If you receive any news, send it to the Listening Wind Inn in the eastern part of the city."

Lan Aotian gave only his surname and did not reveal his full name.

At the same time, he casually made up a place where he was staying.

Naturally, he would not truly remain in one place permanently.

"Yes, yes. Take care, Lord Lan!"

After leaving the Hundred Herbs Hall, Lan Aotian visited several other sizeable pharmacies and material shops in succession, receiving more or less the same reply.

The main ingredients for the Transformation Pill were indeed rare. Ordinary shops simply had no stock and could only help keep an eye out or place advance orders.

This did not surprise him.

If these medicinal herbs were easy to obtain, the Transformation Pill would not qualify as a Grade 7 pill.

If not for his good luck and the Blue Silver Forest happening to have a small amount in stock,

then even with the Douluo version of the pill recipe, he would have had no hope of refining it.

Not to mention mass-producing it later and manufacturing Transformation Pill clan members in batches.

He shifted his attention to other channels of information.

An especially clean tavern at the street corner, named Oak Barrel, became his next destination.

This was where mercenaries, adventurers, and low-level Soul Masters often gathered, making it the best place for information.

As he pushed open the door, noisy voices mixed with the scents of ale and roasted meat surged toward him.

Lan Aotian found a corner by the window and sat down.

He ordered a cup of water.

Among a group of men drinking from large bowls, this made him seem somewhat out of place.

But the noble, aloof aura around him that kept strangers at a distance

made several drunken men who had been thinking of approaching him to chat or provoke him stop in their tracks.

Lan Aotian sat quietly, but his powerful Mental Power spread like an invisible web, capturing every conversation in the tavern.

"...Have you heard? Our Heaven Dou Tournament Area's Shrek Academy, the one dressed like an advertising billboard, won again!"

"Blazing Fire Academy lost too? That's strange!"

"Godwind Academy's Feng Xiaotian lost as well!"

"That Tang San's Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, right? How can Blue Silver Grass be so powerful?"

"Who knows? I heard he also has a hammer Martial Soul... a Twin Martial Souls!"

"Feng Xiaotian lost to that hammer of his!"

"But the real point is his bizarre movement technique..."

"The Continental Tournament really is full of hidden experts..."

The tournament was the most common subject of discussion, and Lan Aotian further confirmed the timeline from what he heard.

Earlier, he had hurried to Holy Soul Village and learned only bits and pieces.

Besides, information deepened as time passed.

Shrek Academy was advancing triumphantly through the Heaven Dou Tournament Area.

Tang San's performance had already attracted quite a bit of attention.

He had even brought out his second Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer.

"...Spirit Hall has been making quite a few moves recently. The Branch Halls everywhere are strengthening their security, as if they are looking for something, or... someone?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you want to die? How dare you speculate about Spirit Hall's affairs..."

"What are you afraid of? This place is far from the Emperor's reach... But I heard it seems to be related to an old incident from several years ago, involving the Clear Sky Sect and..."

The voice dropped even lower, but Lan Aotian could still hear it clearly.

Spirit Hall seemed to be secretly intensifying its search.

The target might be Tang Hao, the old incident involving Ah Yin, or even... the possibility that they had begun looking for a 100,000-Year-Old Transformation Soul Beast.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He thought of Xiao Wu, and then of himself.

Although he had taken the Perfect Transformation Pill and even gods could not distinguish him, his excessively strong aura of life and unusual abilities could still arouse suspicion.

Moreover, his appearance and bearing were exceptionally outstanding.

The reason they had reached this point might also be the Butterfly Effect caused by Tang San revealing his Clear Sky Hammer.